Lesson Overview This lesson will introduce the topic of sea floor spreading. Students will be taught who proposed the theory, the major concept of the theory and the evidence of the theory.
Objectives 1. Students will be able to state where sea floor spreading occurs. 2. Students will be able to explain what sea floor spreading is. 3. Students will be able to state the evidence that sea floor spreading exists.
Opening Question of the day: Is the Atlantic Ocean growing? So all of us here in South Kingstown live near the water. What do you like to do in the ocean? What is the body of water that we live on called. I will probably hear different answers like the Narragansett Bay etc. Then we will get the Atlantic Ocean. What does the floor of the Atlantic Ocean look like? Is the Atlantic Ocean expanding? If it is where is the rest of the earth going? Is the earth getting bigger? Get the students engaged in this conversation. Students watch the video. Students will be asked to write down 2 things that surprised them in this video and two things that they already know from what we have learned about the Earth and Plate Tectonics since we have started the unit. (15-20 minutes)
Learning Activities After the video engage the students in a discussion about the movie (5-10 minutes) tying the old material with the new material through discussion. Start asking students what the two things they already knew were. Then ask students what the two things that they were surprised about were. Is there a relationship between the two? Most students will mention plate tectonics, the mantle etc. The things that may surprise the students are the mountain range underneath the ocean or the Atlantic Ocean spreading. The goal is to try to get the students to answer their own questions. If they don’t make the connection they will start to as we further explain the topic.
The power point will explain the following major terms and concepts of sea floor spreading. First Mid-Ocean Ridges will be taught students will be given two examples of mid-ocean ridges (ie. East Pacific Rise and Mid-Atlantic Ridge). Students will also be taught about how they know that they exist. Next Students will be taught about Sea Floor Spreading. What it is? Who proposed it? Where it happens? How it happens? Next students will be taught about the Evidence for Sea Floor Spreading including molten material, magnetic stripes, and drilling samples. Finally students will be taught about subduction. Where it happens? What it is? What it does? While teaching these concepts students will be engaged by asking questions like, what does this have to do with the structure of the earth? How does this relate to Plate Tectonics? Animations will be used to give students a visual. (25 minutes)
Closing The wrap up of this class we will talk about what we have learned so far in this unit. The students will be informed about the upcoming sea-floor spreading lab, if there is time, the students will be told whom they are working with the next day. (10 min)
Assessment The students will be assessed through the question and answers that are asked in class. Through these observations, the groups that may need extra attention the next day during the lab activity will be revealed.
Unit: Plate Tectonics
Title: Is the Atlantic Ocean Growing?
Lesson Overview
This lesson will introduce the topic of sea floor spreading. Students will be taught who proposed the theory, the major concept of the theory and the evidence of the theory.
Objectives
1. Students will be able to state where sea floor spreading occurs.
2. Students will be able to explain what sea floor spreading is.
3. Students will be able to state the evidence that sea floor spreading exists.
Materials
Links to Resources
Video about mid ocean ridges and sea floor spreading. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CsTTmvX6mc
Animation sea floor spreading
http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/eoc/teachers/t_tectonics/p_seafloorspreading.html
Safety Issues
Instruction
Opening
Question of the day: Is the Atlantic Ocean growing? So all of us here in South Kingstown live near the water. What do you like to do in the ocean? What is the body of water that we live on called. I will probably hear different answers like the Narragansett Bay etc. Then we will get the Atlantic Ocean. What does the floor of the Atlantic Ocean look like? Is the Atlantic Ocean expanding? If it is where is the rest of the earth going? Is the earth getting bigger? Get the students engaged in this conversation. Students watch the video. Students will be asked to write down 2 things that surprised them in this video and two things that they already know from what we have learned about the Earth and Plate Tectonics since we have started the unit.
(15-20 minutes)
Learning Activities
After the video engage the students in a discussion about the movie (5-10 minutes) tying the old material with the new material through discussion. Start asking students what the two things they already knew were. Then ask students what the two things that they were surprised about were. Is there a relationship between the two? Most students will mention plate tectonics, the mantle etc. The things that may surprise the students are the mountain range underneath the ocean or the Atlantic Ocean spreading. The goal is to try to get the students to answer their own questions. If they don’t make the connection they will start to as we further explain the topic.
The power point will explain the following major terms and concepts of sea floor spreading. First Mid-Ocean Ridges will be taught students will be given two examples of mid-ocean ridges (ie. East Pacific Rise and Mid-Atlantic Ridge). Students will also be taught about how they know that they exist. Next Students will be taught about Sea Floor Spreading. What it is? Who proposed it? Where it happens? How it happens? Next students will be taught about the Evidence for Sea Floor Spreading including molten material, magnetic stripes, and drilling samples. Finally students will be taught about subduction. Where it happens? What it is? What it does? While teaching these concepts students will be engaged by asking questions like, what does this have to do with the structure of the earth? How does this relate to Plate Tectonics? Animations will be used to give students a visual.
(25 minutes)
Closing
The wrap up of this class we will talk about what we have learned so far in this unit. The students will be informed about the upcoming sea-floor spreading lab, if there is time, the students will be told whom they are working with the next day.
(10 min)
Assessment
The students will be assessed through the question and answers that are asked in class. Through these observations, the groups that may need extra attention the next day during the lab activity will be revealed.
Homework
No homework
Additional Notes